Tinnitus sufferers in Malta will be able to access long-term relief from the condition for the first time with the launch of a partnership between The Tinnitus Clinic and independent hearing clinic Loud and Clear.
Loud and Clear is owned and headed up by Andrew Sciberras and currently looks after upwards of 500 people a year.
Dr Sciberras has been practising from the service in Gzira, Malta for several years and has 20 years of audiology experience, having previously worked in hospitals and other practices.
He is currently president of the Maltese Association of Audiologists (MAA), which he set up with other local audiologists to promote and safeguard the professional practice in Malta, and often represents the MAA at the European Association of Hearing Aid Professionals.
Dr Sciberras is now able to offer patients Tinnitus Desensitisation Therapy (TDT) on licence from The Tinnitus Clinic. TDT is a clinical pathway that redirects the brain’s attention away from the tinnitus signal so, over time, sufferers become less aware of it.
Dr Sciberras said: “We get lots of people coming here with tinnitus problems. It was actually one of my recent clients who gave me the incentive to reach out to The Tinnitus Clinic and ask them if we could do something.
“Not enough is done here about tinnitus – the normal procedure is to tell patients to try and get used to it or give them medication or use hearing aids.
“But now I am very pleased, because I can prescribe The Tinnitus Clinic and Starkey’s evidence-based treatments and products, which are proven, trusted and reliable.”
“Audiology in Malta is quite good and professional as a whole,” Dr Sciberras said. “It is just tinnitus that people are afraid to tackle. It is not a case of ignorance; the problem is that there are not enough referral routes for patients and not enough awareness so I’m very happy with this new partnership. I hope it will encourage more people to come forward.”
Medical doctor at the Tinnitus Clinic, Josephine Swinhoe, said: “Andrew was the first Maltese audiologist to be registered with the Council of Professions Complementary to Medicine and therefore hold a warrant to practise the profession in Malta. He has always kept up-to-date with the latest technology and evidence-based practice to provide the best possible service to his clients, so he was a natural choice for us as our first overseas licensed clinic.”
For more information, visit www.thetinnitusclinic.co.uk, follow @TinnitusClinic on Twitter or like The Tinnitus Clinic page on Facebook.